Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-09-22
IN THE JUNGLES.
A Two Months Hunt in the Forests of
Rrazil.

Brazil.
Clarence B. Riker, of South Orange,
| member of the American Ornithological
Society, has just returned from two months
| of bug and bird hunting in the forests of
| Brazil.
my wife and |" said Mr.. Riker to a
reporter, went by steamer from here to
| Para, at the mouth of the Amazon. There
| we changed to smaller steamboat that
took us up the river FIVE hundred miles to
| Santarem. There we took canoes and were
padded by Indian boys through miles of
narrow channels that wind in and out
through vast region of flooded forest. At
| ter we had gone rs far as we could in
| canoes, an ox-cart was backed hub deep
into the water, and we transferred our
selves and baggage to it. We then rode
along well-beaten paths extending for
miles through magnificent timber. The
dense foliage made a perfect shade, and
the paths were as hard as orr roads. When
we arrived at the plantation which We had
| decided to make our headquarters, we
| found comfortable house with concrete
walls, a tiled roof and hammock beds The
planters have fowls, swine and cattle, and
raise the principal vegetables and fruits
that we have, and the seeds of the palm
| tree are made into various nourishing
dishes. One of the staple articles of food
is a fish called pirarucu. 1t is dried for
market and resembles goldfish The ma
tives live almost entirely on bananas and
fainha, a coarse meal made from the man
dioca root. Many of the planters
raise sugar-cane, and from it make
whisky to supply the rubber
gatherers. The fermented juice of the
palm is another drink used by the natives
and delicious wine is made from fruit
called caju, and also from juice extracted
from the pulp surrounding the cocoa bean.
This drink is universally liked by foreign
ers, but for the Others one must acquire a
| taste. There are very few mosquitoes, but
there are some things worse. The mocoene,
an almost microscopic insect, clings to the
flesh, and if not removed by rum or lemon
juice causes severe irritation Large vam-
pire bats often fly in ones face at night.
They are four times the size of our bats.
Many natives bear scars from their teeth.
Iarantulas were frequently seen on the
veranda and sometimes in the house
Their bite is not considered deadly, but
the minute hairs with which their barb is
covered are poisonous and cause terrible
irritation. If we left the doors of the
house open at night large toads weighing q
pound and half apiece would hop in
One night my wife was awakened by hear.
ing some animal moving in the room
We could see nothing, but from the SOUND
we were sure it must be tiger, or at least
a wildcat. On striking Il light it turned
out to be a postum. Alligators were
plentiful in the brook near the house. and
a deadly snake called the siracucu is fire.
quently found crouching in the paths OF
the forest. We captured boa constructor
twenty-five feet long. Rattlesnakes are
numerous on the campos or open plains
Leaving my wife at the plantation
! | made excursions into the forest
in search of birds and insects. |
generally went with three or four other
Americans and several Indian guides At
night the Indians would make matched
house out of palm leaves. When thirsty
We would cut the root of the tapereba,
which is hollow and contains nearly pint
of water Game was plenty. There were
wild hogs, tapirs, monkeys, wild turkeys
peccaries, and great variety of birds. We
frequently saw the tracks of jagnars nea1
our hut, but did not meet any of them. To
| Obtilh oOiIS rare SpSCiueIlS OF DlruS we
penetrated far into the depth of the forest
| measured one palm leaf and found it to
be forty feet in length There were rose.
wood, mahogany and many woods not
found elsewhere In the flooded districts
| saw sloths hanging upside down and
feeding on the leaves of the trees. M
merous butterflies, brightly colored, and
birds with brilliant plumage abound. And
! On the banks of the rivers at evening saw
thousands of white egres | was very sue
cessful in collecting, as | brought back
over three hundred birds, ten thousand
insects and the skeletons of ant-eaters
sioths, American tigers, serpents and many
other animals. | obtained bow and five
arrows captured in a fight between rubber.
packers and tribe of Parintintin Indians
who had attacked them. These Indians
are perfectly wild, and live in the deer
recesses of the forest. They are cannibals
| also brought home ayoung tiger. It,
mother was shot while feeding on an OK
which she had killed To keep the tiger
company l brought large coatia, or spider
monkey. He was caught when young, and
is now entirely domesticated"
MESMERTsNg As A CTvrE r,o1, TOprrs